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Northern Areas vs Port Pirie

Council (LGA) comparison ≈ 41 km apart · Northern Areas profile · Port Pirie profile

Northern Areas Port Pirie

Port Pirie and Northern Areas are two nearby South Australian regions with very different profiles. Port Pirie is a more concentrated hub where 66.1% of homes are within a 10-minute walk of public transport and 29.6% of households rent. In contrast, Northern Areas is more dispersed, with a higher share of separate houses (96.8%) and a much larger proportion of homes owned outright (49.3%). This difference extends to the workforce: Port Pirie has more people in manufacturing, while Northern Areas is led by agriculture, forestry and fishing, with 14.4% of its people working from home.

These two areas have tracked similarly across several measures since 2011, though some gaps are shifting. While the difference in home ownership has widened, the gap in volunteering has narrowed slightly, with Northern Areas remaining far higher at 34.5%. Both areas share a similar typical weekly household income, with Port Pirie at $1,063 and Northern Areas at $1,147. They also have nearly identical shares of children under 15 and a similar proportion of residents who have served in the Defence Force.

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Where they differ most

Population: 12,723 larger in Port Pirie Unemployment: 4.0 pts higher in Port Pirie Volunteering: 16.9 pts higher in Northern Areas One-parent: 9.1 pts higher in Port Pirie Owned outright: 14.3 pts higher in Northern Areas

Demographics & Identity

Population in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +12,723 larger in Port Pirie gap steady
4,559 32nd pct 17,282 57th pct
Median age in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +5 yrs older in Northern Areas gap steady
49 yrs 82nd pct 44 yrs 62nd pct
First Nations in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +1.7 pts higher in Port Pirie gap steady
3.0% 40th pct 4.7% 54th pct
Aged 65+ in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +3.2 pts higher in Northern Areas gap widening
26.3% 82nd pct 23.1% 69th pct
Under 15 in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +0.3 pts higher in Northern Areas gap narrowing
17.9% 54th pct 17.6% 50th pct
De facto in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +0.9 pts higher in Port Pirie gap steady
11.1% 24th pct 12.1% 37th pct

Age structure

28.1% Older adults (45–64) ◂ +1.6 pts 26.5%
26.3% Seniors (65+) ◂ +3.2 pts 23.1%
19.1% Young adults (25–44) +2.1 pts ▸ 21.2%
17.9% Children (0–14) ◂ +0.3 pts 17.6%
8.7% Youth (15–24) +3.0 pts ▸ 11.7%

Marital status

51.3% Married ◂ +9.9 pts 41.4%
27.6% Never married +9.1 pts ▸ 36.7%
9.3% Divorced +0.3 pts ▸ 9.7%
7.8% Widowed +0.2 pts ▸ 8.0%
4.0% Separated +0.2 pts ▸ 4.2%

Age & sex structure

Northern Areas Port Pirie

Bars show the share of each area's own population, so differently sized areas stay comparable.

Ancestry & Birthplace

Born overseas in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +1.3 pts higher in Port Pirie gap widening
6.5% 16th pct 7.8% 22nd pct

Country of birth

86.7% Australia ◂ +0.5 pts 86.2%
2.7% England ◂ +0.6 pts 2.2%
0.7% New Zealand ◂ +0.1 pts 0.6%
0.1% Philippines +0.5 pts ▸ 0.6%
0.1% Italy +0.4 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.2% South Africa +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.2% India +0.1 pts ▸ 0.3%
0.1% China even 0.1%
0.0% Vietnam +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%
0.0% Nepal +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

Ancestry

46.3% Australian ◂ +2.8 pts 43.5%
42.8% English ◂ +1.0 pts 41.8%
10.5% German ◂ +2.8 pts 7.7%
10.1% Irish ◂ +2.0 pts 8.0%
9.0% Scottish ◂ +1.1 pts 7.9%
1.2% Italian +4.0 pts ▸ 5.2%
1.1% Dutch +0.1 pts ▸ 1.3%
0.3% Greek +0.9 pts ▸ 1.2%
0.2% Filipino +0.6 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.5% Chinese ◂ +0.1 pts 0.5%
0.3% Indian +0.1 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.0% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%

Language

Other language in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +2.4 pts higher in Port Pirie gap steady
2.0% 9th pct 4.4% 39th pct
Limited English in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +0.3 pts higher in Port Pirie gap steady
0.2% 24th pct 0.6% 48th pct

Language used at home

91.9% English only ◂ +2.0 pts 89.8%
0.0% Italian +0.7 pts ▸ 0.7%
0.2% Greek +0.3 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.0% Tagalog +0.2 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.1% Mandarin +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.2% Punjabi ◂ +0.1 pts 0.1%
0.0% Vietnamese +0.1 pts ▸ 0.1%
0.1% Arabic even 0.1%
0.1% Hindi even 0.0%
0.0% Cantonese even 0.0%

Religion

No religion in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +6.6 pts higher in Port Pirie gap widening
41.1% 49th pct 47.8% 80th pct

Religious affiliation

49.4% Christianity ◂ +6.3 pts 43.1%
41.1% No religion +6.6 pts ▸ 47.8%
8.5% Not stated ◂ +1.0 pts 7.5%
0.2% Islam +0.4 pts ▸ 0.5%
0.5% Other religions even 0.5%
0.4% Buddhism even 0.4%
0.2% Hinduism +0.1 pts ▸ 0.2%
0.0% Judaism even 0.0%

Education & Qualifications

Year 12 in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +6.0 pts higher in Northern Areas gap steady
40.2% 44th pct 34.2% 20th pct
Bachelor+ in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +3.4 pts higher in Northern Areas gap steady
12.0% 44th pct 8.6% 14th pct
Schools in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +4 more in Port Pirie
7 39th pct 11 54th pct
Schools/1k kids in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +4.95 more in Northern Areas
8.57 83rd pct 3.61 48th pct
Students in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +2,122 more in Port Pirie
720 32nd pct 2,842 57th pct
Avg size in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +156 larger in Port Pirie
103 22nd pct 258 55th pct
ICSEA in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +56 higher in Northern Areas
996 65th pct 940 31st pct

Highest year of school

40.2% Year 12 ◂ +6.0 pts 34.2%
22.5% Year 11 +0.6 pts ▸ 23.1%
18.0% Year 10 +1.9 pts ▸ 19.9%
12.5% Year 9 or below +3.0 pts ▸ 15.5%

Highest qualification level

39.6% Certificate III / IV +4.5 pts ▸ 44.2%
17.1% Bachelor degree ◂ +3.5 pts 13.6%
14.4% Advanced diploma / diploma ◂ +2.6 pts 11.8%
3.5% Certificate I / II +0.4 pts ▸ 3.9%
3.0% Graduate diploma / certificate ◂ +0.8 pts 2.2%
2.6% Postgraduate degree ◂ +0.2 pts 2.4%

Field of qualification

17.8% Engineering & related +2.3 pts ▸ 20.0%
10.1% Society & culture +2.9 pts ▸ 13.0%
12.8% Health ◂ +0.8 pts 12.0%
10.0% Management & commerce +2.2 pts ▸ 12.2%
10.4% Education ◂ +2.5 pts 8.0%
9.4% Agriculture & environment ◂ +7.4 pts 2.1%
4.4% Food, hospitality & personal services +1.7 pts ▸ 6.1%
4.8% Architecture & building ◂ +0.3 pts 4.6%
1.6% Creative arts ◂ +0.5 pts 1.1%
0.4% Information technology +0.5 pts ▸ 0.9%
0.8% Natural & physical sciences even 0.8%

Income

Personal income in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +$70 higher in Northern Areas gap widening
$640 25th pct $570 13th pct
Household income in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +$84 higher in Northern Areas gap widening
$1,147 19th pct $1,063 12th pct
Family income in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +$47 higher in Northern Areas gap narrowing
$1,506 24th pct $1,459 20th pct
High earners in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +0.9 pts higher in Northern Areas gap steady
6.8% 33rd pct 5.9% 23rd pct
High-income homes in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +0.3 pts higher in Port Pirie gap steady
9.3% 20th pct 9.6% 21st pct

Household income distribution

35.5% $650–$1,499 ◂ +3.0 pts 32.4%
22.3% Under $650 +4.0 pts ▸ 26.4%
24.4% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +1.4 pts 23.0%
5.6% $3,000–$3,999 +0.3 pts ▸ 5.9%
3.8% $4,000 or more even 3.7%

Personal income distribution

46.9% Under $650 +4.1 pts ▸ 51.0%
31.0% $650–$1,499 ◂ +3.2 pts 27.8%
12.6% $1,500–$2,999 ◂ +0.2 pts 12.3%
2.2% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.5 pts 1.7%

Health & Disability

Health condition in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +2.0 pts higher in Port Pirie
35.5% 88th pct 37.5% 95th pct
Mental health in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +2.5 pts higher in Port Pirie
10.4% 77th pct 12.8% 98th pct
Needs assistance in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +2.0 pts higher in Port Pirie gap steady
7.0% 78th pct 9.0% 96th pct

Long-term health conditions reported

12.7% Arthritis +1.3 pts ▸ 14.1%
10.4% Mental health +2.5 pts ▸ 12.8%
9.8% Asthma +0.8 pts ▸ 10.7%
7.4% Diabetes +1.4 pts ▸ 8.8%
8.5% Other condition +0.1 pts ▸ 8.6%
5.5% Heart disease +0.6 pts ▸ 6.1%
3.7% Cancer ◂ +0.4 pts 3.3%
2.7% Lung condition +0.8 pts ▸ 3.5%
1.3% Dementia +0.1 pts ▸ 1.4%
1.2% Stroke +0.1 pts ▸ 1.3%

Number of long-term health conditions

56.9% None ◂ +2.8 pts 54.1%
22.6% One condition ◂ +0.5 pts 22.1%
8.2% Two conditions +0.6 pts ▸ 8.8%
4.6% Three or more +2.0 pts ▸ 6.6%

Community Participation

Volunteering in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +16.9 pts higher in Northern Areas gap narrowing
34.5% 96th pct 17.6% 50th pct
Unpaid carers in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +0.3 pts higher in Northern Areas gap steady
14.0% 85th pct 13.8% 79th pct
Unpaid child care in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +0.8 pts higher in Northern Areas gap steady
24.4% 47th pct 23.6% 39th pct
Defence service in Northern Areasin Port Pirie even
3.3% 60th pct 3.3% 60th pct
Housework 15h+ in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +3.5 pts higher in Northern Areas gap steady
27.3% 93rd pct 23.8% 67th pct

First Nations

First Nations people in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +669 larger in Port Pirie
135 23rd pct 804 59th pct
Median age in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +7 yrs older in Northern Areas
26 yrs 57th pct 19 yrs 0th pct
Year 12 in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +1.3 pts higher in Northern Areas
27.6% 30th pct 26.2% 26th pct
Unemployment in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +11.1 pts higher in Port Pirie
7.1% 20th pct 18.3% 81st pct
Median income in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +$24 higher in Northern Areas
$450 20th pct $426 14th pct
Household income in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +$159 higher in Port Pirie
$850 7th pct $1,009 14th pct
Indigenous language in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +3.6 pts higher in Port Pirie
2.2% 22nd pct 5.8% 57th pct

Family & Households

Household size in Northern Areasin Port Pirie even gap narrowing
2.2 14th pct 2.2 14th pct
One-parent in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +9.1 pts higher in Port Pirie gap widening
10.6% 23rd pct 19.7% 86th pct
Living alone in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +2.2 pts higher in Port Pirie gap steady
32.7% 77th pct 35.0% 86th pct

Family composition

50.9% Couples with children ◂ +3.2 pts 47.7%
37.7% Couples without children ◂ +6.5 pts 31.2%
10.6% One-parent families +9.1 pts ▸ 19.7%
0.8% Other families +0.5 pts ▸ 1.3%

Household size

40.1% 2 people ◂ +5.2 pts 34.9%
32.7% 1 person +2.2 pts ▸ 35.0%
10.2% 3 people +2.6 pts ▸ 12.9%
8.4% 4 people +1.7 pts ▸ 10.1%
6.2% 5 people ◂ +1.3 pts 4.9%
2.0% 6 or more +0.2 pts ▸ 2.2%

Housing & Dwellings

Rent in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +$7 higher in Northern Areas gap narrowing
$192 26th pct $185 24th pct
Mortgage in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +$147 higher in Port Pirie gap widening
$806 12th pct $953 20th pct
People / bedroom in Northern Areasin Port Pirie even gap steady
0.70 0th pct 0.70 0th pct
Renting in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +12.3 pts higher in Port Pirie gap steady
17.3% 14th pct 29.6% 64th pct
Owned outright in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +14.3 pts higher in Northern Areas gap widening
49.3% 88th pct 35.0% 42nd pct
Separate houses in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +11.3 pts higher in Northern Areas gap steady
96.8% 93rd pct 85.5% 38th pct
3+ bedrooms in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +1.5 pts higher in Port Pirie gap steady
78.7% 60th pct 80.2% 70th pct

How homes are owned or rented

49.3% Owned outright ◂ +14.3 pts 35.0%
28.0% Owned with a mortgage +3.5 pts ▸ 31.5%
17.3% Rented +12.3 pts ▸ 29.6%
4.1% Other tenure ◂ +2.4 pts 1.7%
1.5% Not stated +0.7 pts ▸ 2.2%

Types of homes

96.8% Separate house ◂ +11.3 pts 85.5%
2.7% Townhouse / semi-detached +9.4 pts ▸ 12.1%
0.0% Flat or apartment +1.5 pts ▸ 1.5%
0.6% Other dwelling ◂ +0.2 pts 0.5%

Bedrooms per home

50.2% 3 bedrooms +7.3 pts ▸ 57.5%
23.6% 4 bedrooms ◂ +3.7 pts 19.8%
16.1% 2 bedrooms ◂ +1.9 pts 14.2%
4.9% 5 or more ◂ +2.0 pts 2.8%
3.3% 1 bedroom ◂ +0.1 pts 3.3%
0.3% Studio / none ◂ +0.1 pts 0.2%

Weekly rent distribution

47.5% Under $200 +5.8 pts ▸ 53.4%
45.1% $200–$349 ◂ +4.7 pts 40.4%
0.0% $350–$549 +2.7 pts ▸ 2.7%
0.0% $550–$749 +0.4 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.0% $750 or more even 0.0%

Monthly mortgage distribution

58.0% Under $1,000 ◂ +7.7 pts 50.3%
28.6% $1,000–$1,799 +4.8 pts ▸ 33.4%
6.4% $1,800–$2,999 +2.5 pts ▸ 9.0%
1.9% $3,000 or more ◂ +0.2 pts 1.7%

Transport & Vehicles

No car in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +6.1 pts higher in Port Pirie gap narrowing
3.6% 27th pct 9.8% 83rd pct
Work from home in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +10.4 pts higher in Northern Areas gap steady
14.4% 62nd pct 4.1% 10th pct
PT commute in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +0.1 pts higher in Port Pirie gap steady
0.3% 29th pct 0.4% 32nd pct
PT stops in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +92 more in Port Pirie
17 44th pct 109 63rd pct
Stops/1k in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +2.58 more in Port Pirie
3.73 55th pct 6.31 86th pct
Departures/1k in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +241.0 more in Port Pirie
7.9 29th pct 248.9 63rd pct
PT routes in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +7 more in Port Pirie
4 43rd pct 11 58th pct

How people get to work

61.6% Car (driver) +9.5 pts ▸ 71.0%
14.4% Worked at home ◂ +10.4 pts 4.1%
6.2% Walked ◂ +2.8 pts 3.3%
3.3% Car (passenger) +1.8 pts ▸ 5.1%
0.2% Bicycle +0.6 pts ▸ 0.8%
0.3% Bus +0.1 pts ▸ 0.4%
0.0% Train even 0.0%

Motor vehicles per home

29.9% 1 vehicle +8.0 pts ▸ 37.9%
37.0% 2 vehicles ◂ +4.9 pts 32.1%
16.7% 3 vehicles ◂ +3.8 pts 12.9%
12.3% 4 or more ◂ +5.1 pts 7.3%
3.6% No vehicle +6.1 pts ▸ 9.8%

Migration & Movement

Recent movers in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +2.8 pts higher in Port Pirie gap steady
27.1% 17th pct 29.9% 26th pct
Recent arrivals in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +4.2 pts higher in Port Pirie gap steady
5.7% 20th pct 9.9% 43rd pct

Jobs & Industry

Unemployment in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +4.0 pts higher in Port Pirie gap steady
3.1% 18th pct 7.1% 86th pct
Participation in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +4.9 pts higher in Northern Areas gap narrowing
56.8% 43rd pct 51.9% 25th pct
Full-time in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +2.1 pts higher in Northern Areas gap narrowing
58.0% 39th pct 56.0% 25th pct

Industries people work in

26.2% Agriculture, forestry & fishing ◂ +22.3 pts 3.9%
13.3% Health care & social assistance +5.7 pts ▸ 19.0%
6.2% Manufacturing +6.9 pts ▸ 13.1%
8.5% Retail trade +3.1 pts ▸ 11.7%
8.6% Education & training ◂ +0.4 pts 8.3%
3.1% Accommodation & food +3.9 pts ▸ 6.9%
6.7% Construction ◂ +0.1 pts 6.6%
4.0% Public administration & safety +0.6 pts ▸ 4.6%
3.8% Other services +0.6 pts ▸ 4.4%
3.6% Transport & warehousing +0.3 pts ▸ 3.9%
1.7% Administrative & support +2.0 pts ▸ 3.7%
2.4% Mining +0.5 pts ▸ 2.9%

Occupations people work in

27.0% Managers ◂ +16.4 pts 10.6%
9.9% Community & personal service +5.1 pts ▸ 15.0%
13.3% Technicians & trades +1.1 pts ▸ 14.4%
13.8% Professionals +0.6 pts ▸ 14.4%
11.5% Labourers +1.0 pts ▸ 12.5%
7.8% Machinery operators & drivers +3.0 pts ▸ 10.8%
6.3% Sales workers +4.1 pts ▸ 10.4%
8.8% Clerical & administrative +1.2 pts ▸ 10.0%

Economy & Advantage

IRSAD decile in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +4 higher in Northern Areas
5 43rd pct 1 0th pct
IRSD decile in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +4 higher in Northern Areas
6 57th pct 2 14th pct
IER decile in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +3 higher in Northern Areas
5 43rd pct 2 14th pct
IEO decile in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +5 higher in Northern Areas
6 57th pct 1 0th pct
IRSAD score in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +80 higher in Northern Areas
948 46th pct 868 12th pct
ERP in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +12,976 higher in Port Pirie
4,688 31st pct 17,664 55th pct
Growth in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +1.1 pts higher in Northern Areas
0.6% 19th pct -0.5% 12th pct
Businesses in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +265 higher in Port Pirie
682 36th pct 947 42nd pct
Approvals in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +30 higher in Port Pirie
11 29th pct 41 46th pct

Environment & Climate

Rainfall in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +147 higher in Northern Areas
505 33rd pct 358 19th pct
Max temp in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +2.6 higher in Port Pirie
22.4 31st pct 25.0 59th pct
Min temp in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +2.0 higher in Port Pirie
8.6 13th pct 10.5 40th pct

Walkability

Walk score in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +0.8 higher in Port Pirie
3.0 30th pct 3.8 52nd pct
Types ≤15 min in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +0.3 more in Port Pirie
3.4 32nd pct 3.7 41st pct
15-min city in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +4.4 pts higher in Northern Areas
39.8% 35th pct 35.5% 27th pct
Walk to shops in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +5.4 pts higher in Northern Areas
40.0% 36th pct 34.6% 26th pct
Walk to transit in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +29.9 pts higher in Port Pirie
36.2% 44th pct 66.1% 66th pct
Walk to school in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +25.6 pts higher in Port Pirie
38.0% 24th pct 63.7% 65th pct
Walk to a park in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +23.7 pts higher in Port Pirie
50.1% 21st pct 73.8% 57th pct
Walk to health in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +0.3 pts higher in Port Pirie
30.4% 35th pct 30.6% 36th pct
Amenities/1k in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +18.5 more in Northern Areas
31.6 74th pct 13.1 24th pct
Intersections/km² in Northern Areasin Port Pirie even
1 44th pct 1 52nd pct
Mean slope in Northern Areasin Port Pirie +1.5 pts higher in Northern Areas
4.0% 38th pct 2.5% 5th pct

Compare Northern Areas with nearby areas

Port Pirie Goyder Mount Remarkable Wakefield Peterborough Barunga West Orroroo Carrieton Clare and Gilbert Valleys

Compare Port Pirie with nearby areas

Northern Areas Barunga West Mount Remarkable Whyalla Wakefield Copper Coast Port Augusta Orroroo Carrieton

Cite this page

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2021). Northern Areas vs Port Pirie [Census of Population and Housing]. CensusAtlas, used under CC BY 4.0. https://censusatlas.au/compare/lga/LGA45120/northern-areas/vs/LGA46450/port-pirie